![]() ![]() In general, you want to stick pretty close to the maximum speed set by your ISP. You want to make sure that your spiffy new router can actually achieve that top speed you’ve been hoping to achieve. You should also make sure that your router can handle the maximum bandwidth offered by your internet service plan or higher. In practice, the actual speeds you get for any one device will likely be lower, and depend on various factors like its placement and interference between it and the router. WiFi 6–and the number refers to the combined maximum speed it offers across all bands (in Mbps). The primary spec you will typically see with a router looks something like “AX5700.” The letters refer to standard–“AX” is shorthand for “802.11ax,” A.K.A. For many people, it will still be a big upgrade. That being said, if your online gaming is mostly wired by ethernet (which you really should try to do with your PC and console before going wireless anyway), then getting an older WiFi 5 router for gaming can be a good way to cut costs. If you are interested enough in upgrading your network to seek out a gaming router, you will probably want to make sure whatever you buy meets the newest wireless standard. ![]() Only newer, WiFi 6 compatible devices can take full advantage of its potential, you don’t need to worry that your devices won’t be able to connect. As with all prior standards, it’s fully backward compatible with all the previous wireless networking standards. It’s faster, and can work with more devices before you start to see serious drops in network performance. We’ve put together a thorough explainer on everything new in WiFi 6, but here’s the short version: WiFi 6 was designed to accommodate the current boom of smart, internet-enabled devices that are flooding home networks everywhere. The newest version is WiFi 6, also known as 802.11ax, which launched in 2019. The WiFi Alliance, the independent company that maintains wireless networking standards, retroactively added a consumer-facing number system to match the legacy IEEE wireless standard names like 802.11ac and 802.11n. If a single router still won’t cut it, or there are dead spots on account of interference, you can expand a router’s range with a WiFi extender, which can rebroadcast and extend the signals from existing routers. A less expensive router will handily cover a studio or one-bedroom apartment, but you may need to invest in something more powerful to cover a house. You should be aware that walls and dense physical objects can interfere with the signal. A centralized location helps ensure your router’s signal reaches your whole home. You also need to consider where you plan to put your router. A choked-up network can prevent you from getting the maximum upload/download speeds offered by your home internet service plan. The router’s internal hardware, particularly RAM, affects how much data it is able to process without slowing or stuttering, and could become a bottleneck if you have many devices on your network at once. Like computers, routers have processors and memory, and having one that’s more powerful will enable your home network to handle a lot of throughput with minimal lag spikes.Īs a rule of thumb, a good gaming router will feature a multi-core processor and at least 256 MB of RAM. What to consider before buying one of the best gaming routersĪs with most specialized gaming equipment, the best routers for gaming tend to have more powerful hardware than you’d expect in your average ISP-supplied router. Best mesh gaming router: Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8).Best WiFi 6E gaming router: Netgear Nighthawk Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router (RAXE500).Best all-purpose gaming router: Asus RT-AX86U.Best WiFi 5 gaming router: Asus RT-AC86U.Best gaming router: Netgear Nighthawk XR1000.Our picks feature the specs gamers want, and perform as well as their manufacturers claim. We selected these specific routers based on testing, reading professional router reviews, and consumer recommendations. There are more new gaming routers every year in an already bustling category, so we had plenty to choose from when selecting the best for a variety of use cases. This rundown of the best gaming routers will help you make an informed decision by demystifying terms like WiFi 6, link aggregation, and more. With the explosion of streaming as a pillar of gaming culture, the internet router has become an absolutely essential piece of gaming hardware. Fortunately, manufacturers are well aware of this need, and so there’s a wide field of gaming-specific networking gear to choose from. A speedy, uninterrupted connection is essential. Anyone who’s played competitive online games knows the brutal sting of losing a match because your connection lagged at a crucial moment. Since the days of dial-up, gamers have always been the most demanding internet users in most households. ![]()
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